Eosinophil[edit]

Main article: Eosinophil granulocyte

Eosinophils compose about 2-4% of the WBC total. This count
fluctuates throughout the day, seasonally, and duringmenstruation. It
rises in response to allergies, parasitic infections, collagen diseases,
and disease of the spleen and central nervous system. They are rare
in the blood, but numerous in the mucous membranes of the
respiratory, digestive, and lower urinary tracts.[8]
They primarily deal with parasitic infections. Eosinophils are also the
predominant inflammatory cells in allergic reactions. The most
important causes of eosinophilia include allergies such as asthma, hay
fever, and hives; and also parasitic infections. They secrete chemicals
that destroy these large parasites, such as hook worms and
tapeworms, that are too big for any one WBC to phagocytize. In
general, their nucleus is bi-lobed. The lobes are connected by a thin
strand.[8] The cytoplasm is full of granules that assume a characteristic
pink-orange color with eosin staining.
Basophil[edit]

Main article: Basophil granulocyte

Basophils are chiefly responsible for allergic and antigen response by
releasing the chemical histamine causing the dilation of blood vessels.
Because they are the rarest of the white blood cells (less than 0.5% of
the total count) and share physicochemical properties with other blood
cells, they are difficult to study.[11] They can be recognized by several
coarse, dark violet granules, giving them a blue hue. The nucleus is

bi- or tri-lobed, but it is hard to see because of the number of coarse

granules that hide it.
They excrete two chemicals that aid in the body's defenses: histamine
and heparin. Histamine is responsible for widening blood vessels and
increasing the flow of blood to injured tissue. It also makes blood
vessels more permeable so neutrophils and clotting proteins can get
into connective tissue more easily. Heparin is an anticoagulant that
inhibits blood clotting and promotes the movement of white blood cells
into an area. Basophils can also release chemical signals that attract
eosinophils and neutrophils to an infection site.[8]
Lymphocyte[edit]

Main article: Lymphocyte

Lymphocytes are much more common in t